by Carolyn Welty

Created on: June 26, 2008

Green Nuptials Gaining in Popularity Word Count-587

Tree Hugger Lassie meets Tree Hugger Lad. They fall in love and agree to make the relationship permanent. It is their choice to make their wedding an ecological statement without decadence or careless consumption. They need a simple, workable plan.

Lassie is a writer, and it is her natural tendency to organize her life according to her professional training. Her plan begins with the basics of her job. She needs to answer the questions who, what, where, when, and why, and most important for this project, how.

WHO translates to the number of wedding guests. Lassie and Lad build a list of who needs to attend the weeding on each side of the family. They agree that is essential to keep the list as short as possible because the biggest ecological and financial impact will be the size of the wedding. After much deliberation, they agreed to a soft goal of 50 guests with a firm goal not to exceed 60.

With 55 possibilities, the next logical question was WHAT to serve the quests at the reception. Lassie and Lad favored alcoholic beverages, so Lad took on the responsibility of finding a good local micro-brewery and a reputable source for organic wines.
Both bride and groom selected to serve a vegetarian buffet of hearty appetizers, using their own recipes for some and consulting favorite cookbooks for others. They felt that it was important to list every organic ingredient specifically so that the caterer could be chosen based on a willingness to follow the specific, provided recipes. They found that most of their favorite local vegetarian restaurants were more than willing to submit a bid.

The next big question was WHERE to have the wedding and reception. Lassie and Lad preferred a one-stop destination for their quests, an outdoor ceremony with an inclement rain option, and an eco-friendly environment, which translated to a relative's backyard under rental tents.

"WHY not ask for assistance from guests? " Lassie and Lad felt that most guests would be happy and willing to join the green parade, and so the e-mail invitations included simple requests, knowing that the WHEN of their early summer wedding date was conducive to gathering natural greenery and flower blooming as decorations. The simple beauty of a well-landscaped yard would add subtle flavor to the wedding. Tables would be decorated with wild flower arrangements and interesting weeds that friends would contribute. Also, guests would be asked to create an impromptu scrap book of poems, stories, advice, pictures, drawings or advice.

Lassie and Lad faced the HOW part by working together on the many details to complete. Lad's family friend and minister offered to officiate. A friend provided a CD with favorite musical selections for the ceremony and another for later dancing and frolicking in celebration of the happy union. Pictures and filming were amateur, but interesting and memorable, nonetheless. In reality, how many times do couples review their weddings over the years?

Of course this scenario is fictitious, but it does not include details such as choosing to buy hemp clothing or deciding to rent wedding wear, instead. It also does not include many real problems that would occur, as they always do in planned events. The point is that weddings do not have to be expensive or earth negative. Every couple can sit down and plan a simple, beautiful event that treads easily on the environment, but one that also creates memories of worth for one and all.

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